Sherry Ayittey inspecting the items
The Bogoso/Prestea Mine of the Golden Star Resources (GSR) in the Western Region has handed over a newly constructed and well equipped clinic comparable to any health facility in the big cities.
The health facility was constructed with funds from the company’s two dollars from an ounce of gold produced, set aside for development projects in the catchment areas under the Golden Star Resources Development Foundation.
The company together with its Wassa and Prestea/Bogoso mine had also donated assorted medical equipment and supplies to about 13 health facilities in the Western Region.
The beneficiary health facilities included Bogoso Health Centre, Bondaye Health post, Himan Community health Centre, Prestea Government Hospital and Tarkwa Government Hospital.
The rest were Kwesimintsim Hospital, Ataiku, Nsadweso, Benso, Adum Banso and Mpohor health posts, in all in the region.
Inaugurating the clinic, the Minister of Health, Sherry Ayittey, commended the mining company for complementing the efforts of government in ensuring that Ghanaians, particularly those in remote areas remained healthy always.
She indicated that her Ministry was poised to improve maternal and child care and so her outfit was making sure that health posts were constructed in the rural areas to bring health care delivery to steps of the people.
She promised to make sure that the facility got community nurses and midwives who would take pregnant women through successful antenatal care.
She admonished all pregnant women in the area to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme so that they could get free medical care at the facility.
She also encouraged the parents to send their children to the facility to be immunised against the six childhood killer diseases during the immunisation periods.
Neale Laffin, Managing Director of GSR Bogoso/Wassa Operations revealed that the medical equipment and supplies worth $420,000 were procured in collaboration with Project CURE, a non-governmental organisation.
He mentioned that the equipment included incubators, portable x-ray machine, wheel chairs and surgical equipment among others.
Jerry Agala, General Manager of GSR, New Century Mine mentioned that Golden Star had remained committed to the development of its host communities.
‘In the area of health, GSR in collaboration with the Ghana health Service has built and equipped health centres and facilities, donated medical equipment, facilitated access to NHIS and conducted health outreach programme,’ he added.
In a related development, the mining company had also commissioned ultra-modern community centres for the people of Chujah and Kwameniampa, all catchment areas of the gold mining company.
The construction of the projects was in response to the requests made by members of the community.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.